Bulgarian officials will meet the Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone next week to try to secure a deal for the country to host a grand prix from 2011. The Bulgarian Motorcycling Federation president, Bogdan Nikolov, said the grand prix organising committee chief, Rumen Petkov, had been invited by Ecclestone to the German grand prix at the Nürburgring.

Nikolov, who announced Bulgaria's plans to host a Formula One race last December, was hopeful a contract could be signed. The track is likely to be near the northern town of Pleven. "We've already submitted our plan a few months ago and it was considered by Formula One Management," he said. "According to the draft, Bulgaria could sign a contract to host a Formula One race between 2011 and 2015 and there's an option for a contract extension until 2020."

The BMF signed a preliminary agreement in February with the MotoGP commercial rights holder Dorna to host a round of that world championship from 2012 to 2016. Bulgaria, which has been hit hard by the global economic downturn along with other eastern European countries, has also been listed provisionally on the world rally championship calendar next year.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Formula One grand prix is under threat after only 36,000 three-day tickets were sold for this year's race. Istanbul circuit officials have expressed concern that the contract could end in 2011.